Storyboard

A storyboard is a graphic organiser composed of sequential illustrations or images used to previsualise the structure and progression of a film, animation, motion graphic, or interactive media sequence. By providing a visual outline of narrative and technical elements before full production begins, storyboards have become indispensable within creative industries. The modern form of the storyboard was developed in the early 1930s at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where it evolved from earlier sketch-based planning methods already present in silent-era filmmaking and early animation studios.

Origins and Historical Development

Although many large-budget silent films employed storyboard-like planning materials, much early documentation was lost during later archival reductions. Filmmaker Georges Méliès is known to have used preproduction drawings to design visual effects, representing an early example of storyboard-like methods. Nevertheless, the first recognisable storyboard system emerged at Disney during the 1930s.
Diane Disney Miller noted that the 1933 short Three Little Pigs was the first Disney production crafted using complete storyboards. John Canemaker’s research indicates that these developed from comic-strip-like sketches used for earlier shorts such as Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie. The innovation is often attributed to animator Webb Smith, who separated drawings onto individual sheets and pinned them in sequence on a board to create a coherent narrative flow.
Other accounts credit Ted Sears with inventing the storyboard while employed at Fleischer Studios; however, the tool was not adopted there until much later. When Sears joined Walt Disney Productions he introduced the idea to Walt Disney himself, who immediately recognised the need for a specialised story department distinct from animation teams. This organisational shift formalised the role of the storyboard artist.
By the mid-1930s the technique had spread to other studios, beginning with Walter Lantz Productions and later Harman-Ising and Warner Bros. Cartoons. By 1937–1938 the method had become standard across American animation.
Storyboarding soon transitioned into live-action filmmaking. Gone with the Wind (1939) was among the first major live-action films to be fully storyboarded, designed by production designer William Cameron Menzies. From the 1940s onward, storyboards became a core element of production design and previsualisation, a practice that continued to characterise film-making throughout the later twentieth century.

Uses and Creative Functions

A film storyboard, sometimes called a shooting board, presents a sequence of images that visually map out the screenplay. Its purposes include:

• enabling directors and cinematographers to conceptualise shot composition and camera movement
• identifying narrative or continuity problems early
• determining production requirements, such as set construction, lighting, and special effects
• estimating overall production cost and time
• avoiding unnecessary filming by clarifying what will appear within the frame

For fast-paced action scenes, simple monochrome sketches typically suffice; in contrast, more atmospheric or lighting-intensive scenes may require detailed artwork. Storyboards often include arrows, annotations, and technical cues describing movement, framing, or transitions. In interactive media, storyboards specify the user’s path through information or gameplay sequences.
During live-action shooting, scenes are rarely filmed in the scripted order owing to logistical constraints. Directors therefore employ storyboards to maintain a coherent vision during production, facilitating efficient alignment between filming days and editorial intentions.

Storyboards in Theatre

Contrary to common belief, storyboards are also employed in theatrical production. Directors and playwrights use them to map out blocking, stage composition, and narrative beats. Konstantin Stanislavski incorporated storyboard-like planning in his production notes for the Moscow Art Theatre, including his staging of Chekhov’s The Seagull in 1898. Bertolt Brecht similarly used detailed storyboards as part of his dramaturgical method of fabels, supporting structural and ideological clarity in performance.

Animatics and Their Role in Visual Development

In animation and special-effects filmmaking, the storyboard stage is often followed by the creation of animatics, simplified audiovisual mock-ups that present storyboard frames timed to rough dialogue or soundtracks. Animatics allow directors and animators to assess pacing, shot sequence, and camera movement before significant labour is invested.
Editing at the animatic stage helps prevent wasted resources, as finished animations require months of intensive work. In computer animation, storyboarding minimises unnecessary modelling or rendering by clarifying which visual components will appear on screen. Many animatics feature simple pans, zooms, or motion effects to simulate cinematography, often assembled using non-linear editing tools. Some special-edition film releases include production animatics, especially from scenes cut before full animation.
Advertising agencies also use animatics to test commercial concepts with audiences prior to high-cost production. A related format, the ripomatic, uses clips from existing media to convey the intended tone or style of a proposed advertisement.

Photomatics and Digital Variants

A photomatic, derived from the combination of photo-based imagery and animatic methodology, consists of still photographs edited together with sound effects, voiceovers, and music to simulate how a final film or advertisement may appear. Initially created using printed photographs and rostrum cameras, photomatics now rely heavily on digital photography, stock imagery, and non-linear editing, enabling rapid iteration and real-time creative decision-making.
Digital compositing allows for sophisticated visual mock-ups—sometimes called digimatics—that can replicate complex scenes or visual effects without full-scale production, providing advertisers and filmmakers with an economical evaluation tool.